i have been up since 8 this morning catching up on yardwork that was long overdue.. my wife kept shuttling me water all day, and i told her i was gonna go buy some 'good' beer when i got done!! she says, "oh, the wine beer?" she calls it that cause she thinks its cute and all in the bottle with the cork. blah, what do women know anyway.

went to the liquor store, got a shower, ate a sandwich, and now i am ready to bust one open. i bought more than i should have, but i was thirsty, what else can i say.

5 bottles of Duvel
2 bottles of Chimay Red
1 bottle of Chimay Blue
1 bottle of Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale
and then i got some new ones that i will post a review of later.
1 bottle of Rogue Santas Private Reserve Ale from the Oregon brewing co.
then, i got Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse(red-foil), and the same in a Dunkel version(gold-foil).

i had been told the regular weisse red foil was pretty good beer, and the dunkel was just sitting next to it in the cooler, so i figured what the hell?

i was goona get one of the arrogant bastard brands, but they were out. i swear, our liquor store can be so hit-or-miss sometimes.

anyway, got plenty of beer stocked up for the next couple of weeks. gonna go pop open a duvel right now..

i had no real expectations on this beer cause i bought it on a whim. it had a strong fruity flavor upon opening, and poured nice and thick. in the glass, the beer is very dark, almost cloudy, and the head is full and silky. the aroma still lingered kinda fruity, with subtle hints of banana and cloves. the flavor was mild, not very strong, with no real bite or punch. it was a good overall flavor, but nothing that really stood out. not too malty, and the aftertaste was very pleasant, with a slight hint of cinnamon on the end. i liked the way the silky head would cling to the glass after a drink, then slowly slide back to the bottom.

overall, a good but not great beer. i think i had set the bar too high. this dunkel was a bit too mild, and never achieved the 'bang' i was wanting. creamy and malty, with a great little pinch of flavor at the end.. i give it a 7 out of 10.

upon opening, this beer didnt have the strong, fruity aroma as the Dunkel. it pours slightly watery, not thick, and a nice slightly cloudy golden color. if it wernt for the slight cloudiness, i would almost think this was a golden ale. very rich in color. head was very minimal, and not as silky as the Dunkel, and decipated fast. flavor had same hints of banana and citrus, but once again, not as strong as the Dunkel. there was a hint of sweet & tart, like when you smell a fresh cut lemon. not over bearing at all, but definitely evident. this beer also seemed lighter on the palate, less creamy. smooth aftertaste, with a pinch of the wheat flavor appearing at the end.

overall, decent beer. i think a fair companion to the Dunkel. i would rate them almost the same, but i have a preference to the dark beers, so this one gets 6.5 out of 10. the low alcohol content(5.5%), and the price($2 bucks for a 16oz bottle), make this a beer that probably will not make my normal rotation. it has a good taste, but not good enough to warrant its price. and if i did have to choose one, i would take the Dunkel anyway.. i just like the dark beers more!!

I'm very picky about two things. The beer I like and the coffee I like.
I'm sure many of you are not fans of XXX amber, but it is MY favorite, and is hard to get sometimes. Most stores carry the XXX lager (green bottle) but not the amber.
What would be a good alternative or simular to XXX amber?
If I have to have a beer and they dont have the amber, I usually get Negro Modello, but sometimes the local stores dont have that either.
Just looking to try some simular beers.